Roller bearing



July 9, 1935. H. D. ALLEE ROLLER BEARING Filed Dec. 1, 1933 A TTORN Patented July 9, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT o tic]:

ROLLER BEARING Application December 1, 1933, Serial No. 700,391' 4 Claims. (or. 308-184) This invention relates to roller bearings and particularly to quill bearings and has for its principal object to provide in such a bearing a resilient member interposed between the rollers and the cage into which the bearing is inserted.

A further object is to provide a roller bearing having the rollers positioned within a split sleeve which is encircled by a resilient member such as rubber.

A further object is to provide a bearing adapted to be inserted between two relatively movable cylinders constructed so as to include a resilient ring or band in contact with one of the cylinders.

A still further object is to provide a bearing having its rollers interposed between a rotatable member and a split sleeve and having a resilient sleeve interposed between the split sleeve and a fixed casing.

Another object is to provide a bearing including a resilient member which will compensate for any irregularities existing between the inner race member and the cage encircling the bearing.

Still another object is to provide a bearing having an inner race member, rollers encircling the race member, a splitsleeve forming an outer race member for the rollers, a resilient ring or band encircling the split sleeve, and a casing-encircling the resilient band.

In addition to the above objects, my invention includes the further objects relating to details of construction and methods of manufacture which will be apparent from the detailed description to follow.

Many instances where quill roller bearings have been used, the bearings would either fail or have short life due to irregularities existing between the cage and inner race member, due to the fact it is extremely diflicult to so accurately position those parts that they are concentric to permit free rotation of the rollers. I have overcome those disadvantages by providing resilient means between the rollers and the cage to compensate for such irregularities and, therefore, have mate rially lengthened the life of the bearing as the rollers are permitted to adjust themselves to such variations.

In the drawing in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a steering wheel assembly for automotive vehicles,

certain of the parts being broken away to better illustrate the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse taken on the line 22 of l, and

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view-taken on the sectional view line 3-3 of Fig. 2, certain of the rollers being omitted to better illustrate the invention.

For the purpose of illustration, I have shown my improved bearing as used in connection with steering mechanism suitable for use on automotive vehicles although it is to be clearly understood that the same is not restrictedto such use but that the same may find utility in a large number of places where it is desirable or expeditending from the instrument board of the vehicle or from the floor board thereof or from any other source as is well known to those skilled in the automotive art and which need not be described in detail as the securing means forms no part of my invention. P

The bearing comprises a split sleeve I5 which encircles a plurality of rollers I6 that are rotatable relative to the steering shaft I2, which is illustrated as forming the inner race member. Encircling the split sleeve I5 is a resilient ring I'I formed of any suitable material such as live rubber, the same preferably being vulcanized to the split ring I5 except adjacent to the split ends I8 thereof. Retaining rings for the rollers I6 are illustrated in Fig. 3 and'comprise disks I9' and 20 positioned at the opposite edge faces of the split ring I5 for retaining the rollers against longitudinal movement. These retaining rings I9 and 20 may or may not be vulcanized to the resilient ring I! depending upon the use to which the bearing is put.

As the outer casing I4 and the steering shaft I2 are not always concentric and as either or both of them may not have perfect cylindrical contours, it will be readily understood that the split ring I5 will be permitted to expand or contract due to the resiliency of the ring I! interposedbetween the split ring and the casing to race way for the bearing, and the fixed casing.

As illustrated, the shaft I2 forms the inner race member but it will be understood that my invention is not to be so limited, as I contemplate the use of any suitable cylindrical inner race memher and an expansible outer race' member.

\ that it is compressed therein.

In Fig. 2, I have shown in exaggerated form as at 2|, the ring I1 as pulled away from the split ring l5 adjacent to the ends [8 thereof, the same being the portion that is not vulcanized to the ring l5. In practice, the ring II will lay against the split ring IE, but it is illustrated as out of contact therewith merely to show the part that is not vulcanized. It will be evident that it is desirable not to vulcanize the band H to the split ring l5 adjacent to the ends l8 to thus permit stretching of the band and to prevent its tearing away from the split band at this point. In practice, I have found that in a bearing having an outer casing of about two inches in diameter, the ring or band I! is left unvulcanized for about one-quarter of an inch on each side of the ends l8 of the split ring l5.

In the manufacture and assembly of the bearing, the rubber ring I! is vulcanized to the split ring l5 and then this assembly is inserted in the casing H. The rubber ring I! normally is of somewhat greater diameter than the casing so Also, the split ring I! is normally somewhat smaller in diameter than the distance around the rollers [6. The rollers l6 are then inserted in the split outer race member or ring l5 after which the assembly is inserted on the inner race member. Due to the compression of the rubber ring I! and the expansion of the split ring IS, the latter will be caused to always contact with each of the rollers l6 and cause them to always contact with the inner race member regardless-of any irregularities which may exist between the race members or between the race members and the casing.

It will, of course, be understood that if desired the parts may be reversed and the inner member may be stationary and the outer member rotatable in which case the positions of the rollers, split ring and resilient band, would be reversed from that shown but without in any way changing the function, operation or operativeness of the device.

While I have described at some length the bonding together of the split ring and the resilient band, in some cases I have also found that equally good results may be obtained by inserting the resilient band over the split ring and not bonding them together.

Also, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes in details of construc tion, proportion of the various parts, and method of operation, and also substitution of equivalent parts, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and substance of my invention, the scope of which is to be measured entirely by the sub-joined claims.

What I claim is:

1. A roller bearing comprising, an inner race member, an expansible outer race member, rollers interposed between said race members, roller retaining members abutting against the edge faces of said outer race member to form a pocket outwardly of said race member, a rubber ring in said pocket bonded to said outer race member and to said retaining members, and a casing enclosing said rubber ring.

2. A roller bearing comprising, an inner race member, rollers encircling said race member, a non-rotatable split outer race member expanded around said rollers, roller retaining rings extending outwardly and inwardly from said outer race member abutting against the opposed edge faces thereof, a fixed casing, and a rubber ring interposed between said outer race member and said casing bonded to said race member and retaining members.

3. A roller bearing comprising, an inner race member, rollers encircling said race member, a split outer race member having a normal inner diameter less than the distance around said rollers expanded 'therearound, a casing, and a rubber ring maintained under compression. between said outer race member and casing to contract and maintain said outer race member against rotation and cause metal-to-metal contact between said inner race member, rollers and outer race member.

4. A roller bearing comprising, an inner race member, rollers encircling said race member, a split outer face member having a normal inner diameter less than the distance around said rollers expanded therearound, a casing, and a rubber ring bonded to said outer race member except adjacent to the split therein to permit stretching of said ring without tearing the same adjacent to said split, said rubber ring being maintained under compression between said outer race member and casing to contract said outer race member to thereby maintain metalto-metal contact between said inner race member, rollers and outer race member.

HERBERT D. ALLEE. 

